Seattleite’s To Do: Wine Away February

Photo: Hip Cooks Seattle; Learn how to cook a romantic dinner for your loved one.

Uncork a Romantic Valentine’s Day (All Week).

Whether you love or hate Valentine’s Day, or if you’re a hopeless romantic and single or in a relationship, Seattleite has a heart-full of ideas for that special weekend.

Red wine and dark chocolate? Check. Singles’ winery cooking class? Check. Corks, canvas and “Tasteful Nudes?” Double check. Champagne and art? Check. Wine and chocolate truffles lessons? Check. Wine and walk? You get the point.

Photo: Hip Cooks Seattle; Learn how to cook a romantic dinner for your loved one.

All this and even an “I hate Valentine’s Day” celebration await you in the days leading up to (and including) Feb. 14:

February 9 – 13

  • Corks & Canvas Painting Event, Urban Enoteca, Seattle, 6 p.m. Guests will enjoy great wine while they learn how to paint “Flying Heart II” from Angela Hoskins.
  • Wine Walk at Woodinville Warehouse Wine District, Feb. 10, 5-8 p.m. Enjoy wine, chocolate and other treats from more than 10 wineries on this special pre-Valentine’s Day wine walk. Tickets are $17 online before Feb. 10 or $20 at the door.
  • A Romantic Dinner For Two, Hip Cooks, Seattle, Feb. 10, 6-9p.m. The way to the heart is through the stomach. Learn to cook like a pro and please your significant other with delectable treats and wine at this fun cooking class. $65 per person.
  • You Had Me at Merlot, online order by Feb. 11 at 8 a.m. Want to wear your heart on a wine bottle instead of your sleeve? Say “I Love You” or “Be Mine” on an etched hand-painted bottle of wine from PersonalWineBottles.com. You can order wine for the bottle too. The deadline to order is Feb. 11 at 8 a.m.
  • Corks and Canvas Singles’ Paint Party, Apex at Alder Ridge, Feb. 11, 6-9 p.m. Unlock your creativity at Apex at Alder Ridge, where you will experience Apex Sparkling Brut, chocolate and art instruction about painting “Tasteful Nudes.” Art supplies and guidance are provided by artist Sarah Ingersoll. $55 per person or $100 per couple.
  • Singles Winery Cooking Class, EFESTE, Woodinville, Feb. 11, 7-9:30 p.m. Guests will be greeted at the door with a nibble, a name tag and a glass of wine. A tasting, music and a cooking lesson will turn up the heat as guests join co-ed teams to work on recipes from the tantalizing menu.
  • Chocolate Demonstration and Wine, The Woodhouse Wine Estates, Woodinville, Feb. 11,  6-9 p.m. Chocolatier Aaron Barthel from Intrigue Chocolates will show you how to make fresh chocolate truffles in the French tradition. Each truffle will be paired with at least five wines. Appetizers will also be served. $70 per person, $100 for couples.
  • Date Night: Valentines’s Dinner for Two, Sur La Table, Kirkland, Feb. 12, 6:30pm – 8:30pm. Learn to create a romantic, home-cooked dinner with your loved one. An instructor will demonstrate step-by-step instructions on how to create decedent dishes. $79 per person.
  • Valentine’s Day Winemaker Dinner, Covington Cellars, Woodinville, Feb. 12, 6:30-9:30 p.m. Enjoy six wine-paired courses, barrel samples and a winery tour or a chef reception.
  • Red Wine and Theo’s Chocolate, Des Voigne Cellars, Woodinville, Feb. 12, 1-5 p.m. Des Voigne Cellars will be pouring red wine accompanied by Theo’s Chocolate, plus selling jewelry and candle holders for Valentine’s Day gifts. Ten percent of all sales will be donated to Seattle Cancer Care Alliance.
  • Valentine’s Day Celebration, DiStefano, Woodinville,  Feb. 12, 7:30-9:30 p.m. Dip your own chocolate truffles, enjoy dinner for two and a special bottle of DiStefano wine.
  • Valentine’s Day Couples Winery Cooking Class, EFESTE, Woodinville, Feb. 12, 6:30-9 p.m. Heat up the kitchen with your partner at EFESTE winery – listen to upbeat music, learn cooking techniques and work in teams to prepare (and then eat!) an array of international gourmet appetizers.
  • Third Annual Wine and Cheese Pairing, Hollywood Hill, Woodinville, Feb. 12, 4-7 p.m. Artisan cheeses, local chocolates and pastries will “lovingly” be paired with wines from Hollywood Hill Vineyards.
  • Valentine’s Market, Urban Enoteca, Seattle, Feb. 12, 12–10 p.m.; Feb. 13, 12-7 p.m. Over the weekend, enjoy  delicious food from Ray’s Boat House, Leslie’s Chocolate, Delux Foods, Cookie Box and DeLaurenti — jams, crackers, chocolates, charcuterie, cheeses and oysters. There also will be a special Tasting Library Market.
  • Riedel Tasting, Urban Enoteca, Barrel Room, Seattle, Feb. 12, 3-4:30 p.m.; Feb. 13, 2-3:30 p.m. Enjoy fine wines from Urban Enotecha wineries in Riedel stems — Cabernet, Syrah, Riesling and Chardonnay. The $85 price includes the  four stems that you drank from during the tasting. In addition, you can purchase Riedel stems at a 20 percent discount.
  • Red Wine and Chocolates Galore, William Church Winery, Woodinville, Feb. 12 & 13, 12-5 p.m. Handmade truffles from artisan chocolatier Julie Berg of Wellington Chocolates will be paired with William Church wines for a taste sensation. $5 per person.
  • Hearts Flutter for Chocolate, Cheese and Wine, Patterson Cellars, Seattle and Woodinville, Feb. 12 & 13. Indulge in all three at both Patterson Cellars tasting rooms below Pike Place Market in Seattle and in Woodinville. Taste Forbidden Red wine or sultry Syrah, paired with Theo chocolates and an assortment of cheeses.
  • Hearts, Wine and Chocolate, Northwest Cellars, Kirkland, Feb. 12 & 13. Experience a match made in heaven — art, wine and chocolate — at Northwest Cellars. Feb. 12, 2-5 p.m., Art and Aperitif, $40. Feb. 12, 12-6 p.m. & Feb. 13, 12-5 p.m. Five wines will be paired with handmade chocolates from Brugge Chocolates.
  • Valentine’s Day Celebration, Anton Ville Winery, Woodinville, Feb. 12 & 13, 1-5 p.m. Join the celebration with special pairings: 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon with dusted chocolate truffles, ’05 Blend with Chili Pepper truffles, and ’05 Merlot with blackberry truffles.
  • Samples and Roses, Davenport Cellars, Woodinville, Feb. 12 & 13, 12-5 p.m. Enjoy truffle samples from Intrigue Chocolates;  a rose will be given to the first 25 wine purchases each day.
  • Red Wine, Dark Chocolate, Convergence Zone Cellars and Michael Florentino Cellars, Woodinville, Feb. 12 & 13, 12-5 p.m. A variety of red wines will be paired with dark chocolate in a classic Valentine’s Day combo. Ten percent of wine sales will be donated to the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women initiative.
  • Cabtastic Valentine’s Weekend, Airfield Estates, Woodinville, Feb. 12 & 13, 12-6 p.m. Airfield Estates offers a Cabtastic event, featuring a variety of their Cabernet Sauvignons, including barrel tasting and delicious chocolate treats. Receive a rose with a four-bottle purchase, while supplies last.
  • Challenger Ridge, Feb. 12 & 13. A portion of the receipts will be donated to the American Heart Association.
  • Valentine’s Brunch, Urban Enoteca, Seattle, Feb. 13, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. In addition to a tasty brunch, winemaker Freddy Arredondo from Cave B Estate Winery will be pouring his award-winning Blanc de Blanc and mingling with guests.

February 14

  • Candlelight Dinner at Matthews Estate Winery, Woodinville, 6:30 p.m. A romantic four-course meal will be paired with Matthews wine. $85.
  • I Hate Valentine’s Day Celebration, Silver Lake Winery, Woodinville, Feb. 14, 11-5pm. Exclusive deals and featured wine for those who stop by and say “I hate Valentine’s Day.” In addition, dessert wines, chocolates and wine-infused desserts and artisan cheese create “temptation at its finest.”
  • Valentine’s Day Donation with DeLille Cellars, Woodinville, 12-4 p.m. All tasting fees at the Carriage House tasting room will be donated to the American Heart Foundation.